Buckle-strap severing and assembling machine



Oct. 9, 1928,'

4 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 192a INVENTOR fz/aa/vs t. CLENENTS E. E. CLEMENTS BUCKLE STRAP SEVERING AND ASSEMfil-ING MACHINE- Filed May 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 61 mvsmoa Y fuaf/vst". CLEMENTS' Oct. 9,1928.

E. E. CLEMENTS BUCKLE STRAP SEVERING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 1926 fuel-W55 CZEME/VTS Oct. 9, 1928.

BUCKLE STRAP SEVERING AND ASSEMBLINFMACHINE Filed May '7, 9

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1,687,479 E. E. CLEMENTS Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT opp cg EUGENE n. CLEMENTS, on NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, 'ASSIGNOR/TO L. CANDEEfb COMPANY, or NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION or CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE-STRAP snviimne ANDASSEMBLI'NG MACHINE.

Application filed May 7, 1926. Serial No. 107,335.

This invention relates to a machine for Cutting oil strips ofmaterial from a continuouslength and assembling the same in 'inter linked relation with other articles.

In the rubber art. more particularly in the making of rubber footwear, such as arctics or 'gaiters, fasteners are used composed of; oon'ipleinentary buckle elements.

at its rear end, and in assembling them on articles a strap formed of rubber coated fabric is insertedlthrough the eye I and the projecting ends of the strap then doubled over on each other and rolled together. The rolled together ends are then inserted between rubber or rubberized plies of the article to which thejbuckles are to be applied, and in vulcanization the straps become integrally united with the remainder of the article. A V

'Heretofore the buckles and straps have ordinarily been assembled by hand which is a necessarily slow andaccOrdhigly expensive procedure. It is the object of thisinvention to provide an apparatus by which this operation may be mechanically performed.

In accordance with 'this'invention a rotatable and reciprocable feed device'presents a buckle with its eye in alignment with a strap end, a predetermined length of strap is in serted through the eye, the strap is cut oil and the ends doubled over andunited. the use of this apparatus. not only is greater speed obtainable, but also a more uniform "product. i

, The invention will best be understood when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,

in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Figure 2 is a plan view of a dial uponwhich are mounted anumber of buckle holding devices. v v s p Figure 3 is a section on the line'33 of Figure 1. Y. H

Figure at is a section showing astrap guide. Figure 5 is a plan View of a punch and die for cutting off straps.

Figure 6 is a section through a buckle holding device.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the same. Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective of a feed finger.

Each of these buckle elements is provided with an eye" rigidly in place.

a securingstrap.

Figure 9 is an end view of the dialslide with the dial removed.

Figure 10 is a sideview of the strap guide.

Figure 11 is a perspective viewof part of the same.

Figure 12 is a perspective View of the Wiping rolls.

Figure 13 is a side and V e Figure 14 is a sectional'view of a holding device for a complementary buckleelement. 'lhejinvention illustrated comprises an apparatus'having a base plate 1 supported by' a view'ofthe locking lever,

suitable frame or legs 2. Mountedion base plate 1 is a dial slide block 3 having fastened to its top a dial slide gib 1. A dial slideb is mounted in thedial slide" gib 4; which formsa slideway permitting longitudinal movement of thedial slide. .Revolvably nounted upon the dial slide isthe 'ratchetwheel' 30 which carries rigidly a spindle 5 and a locating pin6. A dial 6 is supportednpon tlieratchet wheel 30, being accurately .positionedthe eon byengagementlof the pin 6"Wl t-l1' a slot in the dial. Around the circumference of the dial in regularly spaced recesses? are six buckle holding'devices 8. Raised'ribs 7* surround each recess. Each of these, holding device's (Fig 7 comprises a frame 9,-having on its sides projections 10 which fit into grooves intherecesses 7 andmay be held in place by set screws Q in the Webs 7, said set screws engaging the framebetween theproiecti'ons. A holding block 11,'and aholding clamp 12 cooperate to hold the b uckle 13 e A lever 16' actuates the clamp. The holding block 1 1is shaped to fit thelinksl land 15 which connect the holding "clamp 12 with the clamp lever 16. In Figures 6 and 7 the holding device is shownas formed to gripon'e ofthecomplementary buckleelemerits 13,'wh1le in Figure 14 the holdmgde' vice is formed to grip theother element 1 13. It is obvious howeventhat by substituting a different form of holding device the machine may be used for inserting straps in the eyes ofany desired'form of biickleor' any other eved part to which it desired to attach Mounted'on the dial 6 is a trin t 1 carrying pivotally alocking lever 17 having at itslower end 21 curved portion 18. The v buckles are placed in the, holding device preferablywhen it is in front of the lower portion of the locking lever. After the buckle is in has been done, the dial is ready toswing' around to its next position. 7 1

At the completion of each assembly theldial in the present instance makes one-sixth of a revolution, there being six fixtures for holding the buckles. However, any desired num-' ber of fixtures may be used. The dial is primarily actuated by the cam 19 on the cam shaft 20, the roll 21 running on the cam '19 causing a pivotal movement of the arm 22 which is pivoted at 21 to the base plate 1 and actuates link 22 to rock the lever 23 with respect to base plate 1 causing the desired movement of the pawl slide 24 in the ways 25. The slide 24 is connectedto the lever 23 by means of the link 26 which passes'through the stud 27 and is fastened theretoon either side by the nuts 28.

The pawl 29 (Fig. 9) pivoted on the top of the pawl slide 24 is held in contact with the ratchet wheel 30 by the spring 31. 'The cam l9zis. so arranged that when the dial is positioned at the rearward portion of its longitudinalmovement, as viewed in Fig. 1, the pawl in one of the slots 32in the ratchet wheel 30 is drawn back by the slide 24thereby turning the dial one-sixth of a revolution. In this way the next holding device is brought in line with the wiping rolls 33 12). The dial slide 5isthen actuated and carries the dial forward far enough for that portion. of the buckle extending from the holding device to pass through the rolls 33, thus placing the aperture in the buckle directly over the strap held by the guide 35.

The rolls 33 are carried in spaced relation by the springs 79 so that the buckle or the buckle and an attached strip of material servejto spring the rolls apart in moving through them. The dial is held from turning by. the locking pawl 34 which engages the slots 32 in the ratchet when the slide moves forward and vdoes not disengage until the slide is moved rearwardly. The. locking slide 34 is actuated by one arm 117 of a bell crank pivoted on the dial slide 5, the other arm 118 of which extends downwardly so as to engage and disengage with-shoulder 119 on the slide gib 4; A spring 120 acts to press the locking slide 34 forwardly into engagement with slot 32. With the dial slide in its forward or right hand position as viewed in Fig. 1, the arm 118 is permitted to drop downwardly carrying the locking pawl into engagement with slot 32. Rearward movement of the slide causes the arm 1.18 to ride upon the shoulder 119 thereby pressing the slide 34 out of the slot 32 after which the dial is free to be rotated. The dial'slide 5 is actuated by the-cam105 through the arm The guide 35 for the strap comprises a bracket member 36 (Figs. 10 and 11) having a flange 37 through which it is bolted to the base 1. The strap feed slide 38 is held in the vertical movement of the slide. The buckle strap is supplied from the roll 40 on which ,it is wound, through the strap guides 41 and 42, passes between the feed finger holder 44 and guide '44, and is held by the feed finger 43 Feed finger-43 has a number of teeth, asshown'in Figure 8, and these are held in contact with the strap 44 by the feed spring '45 which pressespivotally mounted lever 43 against finger 43, although not enough pres sure is exerted to cause them to penetrate. hen the eyed portion of the buckle has passed through the rolls 33 the slide 38 is driven upward by means of arm 46 fastened by the pin47 to thelever '48 which is pivotally secured to the frame of the machine at 49 (Fig. 3.). A roll 49 engages andii's actuated by a groove in one face of the cam 73. At the completion of the upward movement ofthe slide38 ,a small upwardly extending portion of the strapheldbetween the fingers 44 and 43 is passed throughthe aperture in the buckle. The vertical slide 50, which is positioned directly above the wiping rolls 33 in runways in a bracket 50- carried by the base plate 1, then drops down a su'liicient distance 'to'allow the fingers 51 and 52 to close on the end of the strap in a manner hereinafter'to be described. of the slide 50 is accomplished by means of the connecting rod 53having theyokes 54 and 155 at'its respective ends; The yoke 55 .is' fastenedlbythe pin 57 to one end of the lever 56 which is pivoted to the shaft 58 and The movement which is connected at its other end to the roll 59 which runs in the groove 60 in the face of the cam 61 keyed to the shaft 20. Shaft '58 is carried in brackets from the under side of base plate 1. The yoke 54' is fastened to one end of a lever 62 (Fig. 3) pivoted at 63 and 80 slide waysby the gibs 39 which permita" rod which extends outwardly intoposition to, be actuated by the lever 74:. The upper lVhen the triprod 70 is swung down the finger 51 closes against the fixed finger 52 causing the upper portion of finger 51to move outwardly until the edge 71 of the dog 69 comes in contact with the bevelled edge of the upper portion of the finger. By this means pressure exerted by the compression spring 72 against the shoulder of the trip dog 69 keeps the fingers tightly closed. The finger 51 is primarily actuated by oneface of the cam'73 through the trip rod 70, the lever 7 1, yoke 75, rod 76, yoke 77, lever 77 carried by the shaft 58, and roll 78, which runs in a groove in the face of the cam 73. At the completion of the downward stroke of the slide the fingers are but a shortdistance above the aperture in the buckle. The wiping roll springs 79 are set adistance apart to permit the fingers to go between them. The strap guide having made its upward stroke, the protruding portion of the strap passes through the aperture in the buckle and between the fingers 51 and 52 which, are immediately closed in the manner descril'iedabove. The upward stroke of the slide draws the strap through the aperture in the buckle slightly more than OI16-l121lT the length re 'quired. The strap is then cut off below the buckle by a V-shaped punch 80 and die 81 (Fig. 5), fastened by suitable means to the slides 82 and 83 respectively. The punch and die are held in alignment by the guide plungers 84 and 85 which are fastened at one end to the slide 82 and which have a. sliding fit in the bushings 86 and 86 in the slide 83. The die slide is controlled by thev lever 87, pivoted at 88 to the base plate 1. Lever 87 atits upper end is fastened to the bifurcated member 89 by the pin 90 and has at its lower end the roll 91 which runs in the groove 92 of the cam 93.. The punch slide is actuated in a like manner through the'lever 94 pivoted at 95 to the base plate 1. Lever 94 at its upper endis fastened into thebifurcated member 96 attached tothe punch slide by pin 97 and has at its lower end the roll 98 which runs in the groove 99 in the cam-100.

Upo-nthe backward movementof the dial slide 5. the end of the buckle 13 which is passed between the wiping rolls 3,3 and the strap which has been passed through the aperture therein are drawn back through the wiping rolls, thus doubling the strap and sealing the ends ofthe strap together by the pressureof the rolls upon the strap.

As each holding device 8 withassembled buckle and strap enclosed reaches a'position opposite the opening arm 101, the backward actuate the machine. 'descriptlon, the buckle is assumed to have movement of theslide causes the bent portion 102 of the opening arm to come in-contact with the lever 16 of the holding device 8 thus automatically opening each device.

Arm 101 is supported from base plate 1 by a bracket 101. j p

The machine is provided with both a hand wheel 103 at one end and a pulley 104 at the other for drivingby power. I

In Figure 1 1 a form of holding device. is illustrated adapted foruse when buckle elements 113 complementary to the buckles 13 are being assembled. The holding device.

shown in this figure is provided with a separate holding block 111 and holding clamp 112 which may be substituted for the holding block 11 and the holding clamp 12 by simply removing the pins 114. The numerals 115 indicate projections on the holding block designed to fit into the openings 116-in the elements 113 thus holding them in alignment and preventing them from slipping. No adjustment of the machine is necessary when the holding devices are changed. In practice it has been found that it is sometimes more convenient for one holdingd evice to be equipped with block andclamp to hold a 3 part 13 and the next to hold apart 113, and so on alternately aroundthe dial. It willbe readily apparent that the apparatus disclosed herein provides a means of assembling buckles and. straps with a. great saving of manual labor. Due to the greater speed at which the assembly may be mechanically perffglmed a still further economy is made poss1 e.

In the operation of the machine, the end I of a roll 10 of rubberized fabric is threaded throughthe machine to a position opposite the. springs 79; Power is supplied to the shaft 20 to drive the cam wheels and thereby For the purposes of been inserted in the holding device with the holding device carried forward on the slide 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1. The protruding end ofthe buckle has passed between and extends beyond the rolls or guides 33 so thatan opening formed in the buckle is positioned in alignment with the course of travel of theend ofthe strip of rubberized fabric. The buckle is held in this position while the end of the strip of rubberized fabric is carried upwardly by the slide 38, passing through the opening of thebuckle. The cam 60now actuates the slide 50 to lower the jaws. 51 and 52 into position to grip the protruding strip of material and the cam 73 actuates pivoted jaw 51 to clamp the strip against the jaw 52." Further rotation of the cam 60 returns the jaws to their uppermost position, pulling the strip of material with them. Jaw 51 is'subsequently opened torelee t trip by u the r tat n fth cam 73. The strip of rubberized fabric is now severed between the die 81'and the punch which are actuated respectively by! cams 93 and 100. This leaves the buckle free to be drawn back together with its attached strip through the wiping rolls 33 and this stepis effected byoperat-ion of the cam which draws back the dial slide 5. In this step the strap is folded about itselfand its ends are pressed together. lVhen'unvulcanized rubberized fabric is used as the material of the tion of the intermittent rotation carries the holding device to a position opposite the arm 101 which operates to press the lever'lfi rearwardly thereby releasing the gripof the holding means upon the buckle. The buckle is then removed manually and as thisparticular holding device is carriedaround to a position opposite the curved portion 18 of the locking lever 17, a new buckle is placed between the holding block and clamp 12.

Actuation of the lever '17 causes its lower portion to press lever 16 forwardly thereby looking the buckle in place, after which it is again carried between the wiping rolls In the operation of the machine, a bucl-Ile is placed in each one of the siXho-lding means. 7

VVhilethe invention hasbeen described as applied to the use of a strap formed of unvulcanizedrubber coated fabric, it is evident that other strips of material can be used and some or" the advantages of the invention realized; In place of a buckle, it is contemplated to use any type of perforated article to which it is desired to attach a strip of material. The holding device can be suitably modified to receive the article. a

W'Vhile one embodiment of the apparatus has been disclosed in detail in the foregoing paragraphs it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: c

1. An assembling machlne comprising presser means, reciprocable means for hold:

ing an article "adjacent the presser means,

means for inserting a strip ofmaterial into association with the article, and means for withdrawing the article through the presser means whereby the strap ends are folded.

2. An assembling machine comprising presser means, reciprocable means for holding anarticle adjacent the'presse'r means,

means for inserting a predetermined length of strap therein, means for cuttmg oil the strap, andmeans' for simultaneously with-' drawing the article through the presser means and folding over and unitin the strap ends.

'3. An assembling machine comprisingreciprocable means for holding and feeding an article, means for threading a strip of material through the article, means for drawing a predetermined length of the strip through the article, means for cutting oil the strip, and means for folding over and uniting the strip ends. p

4. An assembling machine comprising a means for holding a strap adjacent its end, presser means, reciprocable means forholding and presenting an article adjacent'the pressermeans with its eye inalignment with the strap end, means for inserting a prede-' termined length of strap through the eye, means for cutting off the strap, and means for passing the article and strap through the presser means thereby folding over and uniting the strap ends.

a 5. An assembling machine comprising a rotatable and reciprocable feed device,

1 means thereon for gripping anarticle, means for intermittently rotating and reciprocating the feed device, means for attaching a strap to the article during said rotaryandreciproeating movements, and means for releasing the article and attached strap.

6. An assembling machine comprising a rotatable and reciprocable feed meanshaving an article gripping device thereon, and means cooperating with the feed means during its movements for inserting a length of strap in each article and uniting the strap ends. V

7. An assembling machine comprising a rotatable and reciprocable feed means having a plurality of article gripping devices thereon, and means cooperating with the feed means during its movements for successively attaching a length of strap to each article and then releasing the'finished article. I

8L'An assembling machinecomprising a rotatable and reciprocable feed means having an article" gripping device thereon, strap supply means, and means cooperating with the feed means for inserting a predetermined lengthof strap in each article, cutting off the strap, doubling over and uniting the strap ends, and releasing the finished article.

, 9. An assembling machine comprising a rotatable and reciprocable feed means having a plurality of article gripping devices thereon, means for actuating each gripping device to hold an article, strap supply means, and

means cooperating-with the feed device during its movements for attaching a length of strap to each article and then releasing the same.

10. An assembling machine comprising a feed device having article gripping means, cooperating guides, the feed device" being movable to insert an article held thereon through and beyond said guides, means for inserting a predetermined length of strap through said article, said feed device being then movable to Withdraw the article and strap through said guides, whereby the strap ends are doubled over and united, and means for imparting said movements to the feed device.

11. An assembling machine comprising yieldingly cooperating guides, means movable to insert an article through and beyond them, means for disposing a predetermined length of strap through the article, said article inserting means being then movable to withdraw the article to thereby fold over and unite the strap ends, and means for actuating the article inserting and Withdrawing means.

12. An assembling machine comprising a feed device having a plurality of article gripping means, cooperating guides, said feed device being rotatable to align an article gripping means and an article with said guides and longitudinally movable to insert the article through and beyond the guides, means for inserting a predetermined length. of strap through said article, said feed device being then movable to withdraw the article and strap through said guides, whereby the strap ends are doubled overand united, and means for imparting the aforesaid movements to the feed device.

13. An assembling machine comprising cooperating guide means for holding an article, means for disposing a predetermined length of strap in such article, and means for inserting the article through and withdrawing it from said guide means.

1 1. An assembling machine comprising cooperating spring pressed guides for holding an article, aligned-reciprocable means for disposing a predetermined length of strap in such article, and means for inserting the article through and Withdrawing it from said guides.

15. An assembling machine comprising a rotatable and reciprocable feed device, a plurality of article gripping means thereon,

means disposed at one point in the rotation of the feed device for closing a gripping member on the article, means at another point in the rotation of the reed device for attaching a strap to thearticle, means at a third point for 'cle during such reciprocation, and means for product at another releasing the finished pointin its path.

17. An assembling machine comprising means for holding an article and moving it in a rotary path, means for imparting a single reciprocation to the article at one point in its I )ath means for insertin a redetermined' length of strap in the article, cutting off the strap and folding over and uniting the ends of the strap during said reciprocation, and

means for releasing the finished another point in its path.

18. An assembling machine comprising meansfor holding a strap adjacent its end, a rcciprocable feed device, gripping means thereon, means for actuating the latter to grip anarticle, strap guiding and insertingmeans cooperating with the feed device, means for actuating the strap guiding means to associate the strap with the article, means for drawing a predetermined length of strap through the article, means for cutting off the strap,-means cooperating with the feed device to double over and unite the strap ends, and means cooperating with the feed device to release the finished product. i

19. An assembling machine comprising a feed device having article gripping means thereon, means'for rotating the feed device, strap guiding and inserting means adjacent the feed device, means for intermittently reciprocating the feed device to align an opening in the article carried thereon With the strap guiding means or to withdraw the article, means cooperating with the strap insertingmeans for drawing a predetermined length of strap through the opening of an aligned article, means for cutting off the strap, means cooperating with the feed device to double over and unite the ends of the'insertcd strap, and means for releasing the finished product.

Signed at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, this product at .30day of April, 1926.

EUGENE n. GLEMENTS.

CERTIFICATE or GORRECTIGN.

Patent-N0. 1,687,479. Granted October 9, 1928, to

EUGENE E. GLEMENTS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the i above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 103, for

reference numerals "44a. and 13b" read 43oiand 44a." the letters ."a" being positionedes exponents; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent: Oftice.

Signed and sealed this 27th day, of November, A. D. 1928.

M. J. Moore, r (3 1) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

